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Republican Mills: Shells from the "Sunshine State"
PHOTO: AMANDA ANDRADE-RHOADES / REUTERS
Small inaugural gifts among colleagues are a tradition in the US House of Representatives.
As the New York Times reports, citing the official historian of the Chamber of Congress, it is not uncommon to bring gifts from your own constituency to other MPs.
Peanuts and sweets are popular.
Republican Cory Mills from Florida had a different idea: he sent out defused grenades to selected colleagues.
A reporter from the Daily Mail first reported on Twitter about the unusual gift and an enclosed letter from Mills.
"It is my pleasure to give you a 40mm grenade made for the MK19 grenade launcher," the letter said.
According to Mills, the grenade was manufactured in his homeland, the "Sunshine State" of Florida, and developed during the Vietnam War.
The US Army veteran said he was very much looking forward to working together in a "mission-oriented" congress.
"Let's get together and start working for our constituency."
At the end of his letter, Mills specifically pointed out that the bullets were no longer live.
Mills also apparently had the Republican logo printed on the ammunition's olive-green case.
Mills was supported in the election campaign by ex-US President Donald Trump after repeating his false statements about alleged voter fraud.
»Now I just need a grenade launcher«
Reactions to Mills' gift were mixed.
Republican Rep. Mike Collins, who also appears to have received a grenade, tweeted: "Love mine.
Just need a grenade launcher now.”
Democratic Congressman Jim Hines, according to the New York Times not a recipient of a grenade himself, expressed surprise at the gift and drew a comparison with George Santos, an impostor who sits in Congress for the Republicans: "Not even George Santos could make that up.«
After the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the gift seems at least questionable.
The speaker of the House of Representatives at the time, Democrat Nancy Pelosi, subsequently introduced mandatory gun controls for MPs entering Parliament.
But there are still exceptions.
Security measures at the Capitol apparently reduced
After the Republicans had regained the majority in the House of Representatives, metal detectors at the entrance, which had been installed after the storming of the Capitol, were apparently removed again.
The Capitol police declined to comment on the grenades, according to the New York Times.
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